Trump adds new Iran sanctions
Nation complies with nuclear deal, U.S. says, but breaches ‘spirit’
Administration says country has violated “spirit” of nuclear deal
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for terrorists, citing the failure of the Iran nuclear deal to contribute to the stability of the Middle East.
The move came a day after the administration certified to Congress that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal but would face consequences for breaching its “spirit.”
President Trump, who vowed to dismantle the agreement, has given himself more time to determine whether to let it stand.
Congress requires regular notification from the administration that Iran is complying with the agreement it reached two years ago with the United States and five other world powers to limit its nuclear program to peaceful purposes.
Ballistic missile tests are banned by the United Nations but are not covered by the nuclear accord.
The sanctions designate 18 entities and individuals supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program, Iran’s military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and an Iranian transnational criminal organization, the State Department said.
“Iran’s other malign activities are serving to undercut whatever ‘positive contributions’ to regional and international peace and security were intended to emerge from the (agreement),” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
The nuclear deal, which bans weapons development in return for the lifting of international sanctions, was signed by President Obama and leaders of Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany. The other countries want to keep the deal in force. The parties believed the agreement would “positively contribute to regional and international peace and security,” according to their statements at the time.
Instead, Iran has expanded activities that undermine regional security, according to Nauert. She said Iran continues to:
Support terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that threaten Israel and stability in the Middle East.
Support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government despite atrocities against his own people.
Provide the Houthi rebels in Yemen with advanced weaponry that threatens freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, has been used to attack Saudi Arabia and is prolonging the Yemen conflict.
Test and develop ballistic missiles, in defiance of U.N. Secu- rity Council resolutions.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Monday that his country is not designing missiles to carry nuclear warheads, which is banned under the deal, but to defend itself.
“We need them to make sure that another (Iraqi dictator) Saddam Hussein around the corner will not come and hit us again,” Zarif said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, according to Reuters. Iran and Iraq fought a war from 1980 to 1988.
He also faulted U.S. sanctions policy as ineffective. Iran added thousands of centrifuges for producing nuclear fuel after the U.S. began imposing sanctions before agreeing to temporarily scale back its nuclear program under international monitoring.
Nauert said Iran’s bad behavior also includes detaining U.S. citizens and other foreigners on fabricated national-security related charges, and that the U.S. calls on Iran to release them.
Iran, which is among the world’s largest petroleum producers, says its nuclear program has peaceful aims.
The Trump administration said it’s working with U.S. allies to fix the deal’s flaws, including the expiration of some nuclear restrictions after a decade or more.
“We need (missiles) to make sure that another (Iraqi dictator) Saddam Hussein around the corner will not come and hit us again.” Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif